kilner



Aug. 25, 1925.

C. KILNER l, CAR DOOR 'MEcHANIsM y jiiedlsuly 29, 1924 e :mm lllllll 2 Sheets-Sheet l Aug. 25, 1925. 1,551,406

c. KILNER CAR DOOR MECHANISM Filed July 29, 1924 2 :sheets-sheetl 2 Patented Aug. 25, 1925.

UNITED STATES CHARLES KILNER, OF GREENVILLE, PENNSYLVANIA, ASSIGNOR TO* WINE RAILKW'A'Y PATENT OFFICE.

APPLIANCE COMPANY, OF TOLEDO, OHIO, A CORPORATION OF OHIO.

GAR-DOOR MECHANISM.

Application led July 29, 1924. Seri-a1 No. 728,909.

To @ZZ 107mm t may conce/m:

.Be it known that I, CHARLES KILNER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Mercer and State of Pennsylvania, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Car- Door Mechanism, of which the following is a specilication.- y

My invention relates to car door mechanism and particularly to such as is applicable to the drop doors of hopper cars.

The principal objectof the invention is to provide simple and elicient means for swinging the drop door of a. railway car to closed position and for releasing the door locking devices so as to permit the door to open.

At the present time railway cars having drop bottom doors are largely equipped with door lockin0a mechanism comprising a pivoted hook carried by the car body and adapted to cooperate with a door arm or hook seat mounted on the door. "While door locking mechanism of this type is accessible and capable 'of being easily operated under most circumstances, conditions and structures adjacent the railway tracks at points where the cars are'loaded or unloaded sometimes render the operations of unlocking and closing the doors inconvenient or difficult to perform. Such a condition is encountered where the car door must be actuated while the car is standing on a track beside an elevated platform extending a considerable distance above the rails. By my invention mechanism is provided for easily and conveniently releasing and closing the car doors under such circumstances.

A primary feature of the invention consists, generally stated, in pivotally mounting on the body of the car a hook adapted to have locking engagement with an outwardly projecting arm or seat carried by the door, the said hook being so constructed and combinedwith a door arm as to be capable of being moved to unlocked position through the instrumentality of a device which may be manipulated by an operator from a position at a considerable height abovethe track, and the said operating device also being adapted to engage the door and a portion of the car body so as to enable the door to be closed by the operator in such elevated position.

A further feature of the invention consists in providing the car body, car door and door locking device with suitable means adapting them for cooperation with a jointed operating device which may be employed by the operator both for releasing the door and closing the same.

A further and more specific feature of the invention consists in the provision of a do'or operating device involving pivotally connected parts adapted to swing or rotate with respect to each other in effecting a closing-of the car door and one of which is adapted to serve as a lever for actuating the hook by which the door is normally maintained in closed position.

Other features of the invention residing in particular combinations of parts and in advantageous details of construction will hereinafter appear.

In the drawings illustrating the preferred embodiment of the invention, the scope whereof is pointed out in the claims:

Figure l is a. side elevation of a portion of the hopper of a railway car, the door" thereof being locked in closed position and the door operating devicebeing shown in proper relation thereto for releasing the door supporting hook.

Figure 2 `is an elevational view of the construction shown in Figure l, looking longitudinally of the car.

Figure 3 is a plan view of the door operating device shown in Figures l and 2.

Figure -t is a side elevational view of the devices illustrated in Figure l but showing the door in open position and the door operating device properly associated therewith for effecting a closing movement thereof, and also showing, in dotted lines, the positi'on assumed by the door operating device when the door has been shut.

Figure 5 is a diagrammatic view of a railway car equipped with door mechanism embodying the invention, the said car being illustrated as standing on track between elevated platforms A and associated third rails B such as are frequently encountered at steel mills, and the door operating mechanism being illustrated in the position it occupies when it is employed for unlocking the doors.

In the preferred form of the invention illustrated in the drawings, 1 indicates the sidesheet of a ear-hopper and 2 .is .a swinging door-of the usual or `'fanyiapproved form. for closing the hopper discharge opening.

. Rigidly .mounted Auponthe .outer side of the door, as 'by finean's oiirivetspis" a "doorarm l which projects o'iit'tvardlyb'yoiid tlie side orp the hopper side sheet 1. Where, -asis the case illustrated in the drawings, the door is provided with a .dooristiiiener -ior tdoor spreader 5 the door arm 4 is preferably con- P'nected,`= as "by nieansCofir-ivets 6,'ato l that inem provide fa @seat/for sledge 7 kifor cooperating vwith the'fdoerfsupporting fhoolrato maintain *side A'sheet 1 fof the 'hopper andwpreferably swings in parallel `relation there'to. .The well *known locking-mam 12, fpivoted tto the car '.bo'dyat 13, :1n-ay, :idesired, be employed .to retain :the 4vhoolrfin lloeliedeposition. The hook is provided Witha :seat =or dodge 14: `for overlappingly engagingahe .fiiange 7 lfoffthedoorrarm when the doorfis-olosed and :it is also -`formed "with .s'iioulder -15 "which, @when litliedoorz'is .in saidV closedl posi- 'tiem-:is spaced 'from the lovverdiange .16 -.of :the door iarm :la suficient .distance to -.enable :the .'laterall'yv :projeeting l.lug or rbent end \17 #of Vthe lever `.member 9 to zextf'end between said door arm andhokvsowas ltoengage s the shoulder d5' .of the,` latter iWhile f the-V lever flee-ars upon ther'pper edgei'or ulerumpoint 8 of the door arme.

Pivotally `connectedto theendfoitjthe bar V9 Joppesite Vthat' `from which the lug 157 projiets isa-member 18 Whichnis capableo'f beinp; .detachably.connected `to thev car body :seas toiurnish a linovableuor swinging .fulvCrum 'for .thelever-'QWhenxthe latter is em-k ployed in :closing `thedoor 2. .A- convenient means .o" suitably :connecting "the member s18lto Vthe 'can body is toprovide `tlrexside -sheet 1 oi the hopperSnear-:itslowerendwithfan opening 19 'ovhichis :adapt-edito receive a hooi; -or projection 20 o'rmedfen fthe tree -end :oit thfe swinging-tuinman aneinber 18.

i re fpivot'al feonnection :between `the members ..9 'Tand .18 ot' Ithe vdoor .operating device afs .s 'er'ably laccomplished 1by -iforrnng' .the

- -nieinber 18 lwith a lpa-ir of pertoratedwspaeed T21 which receivebetvreen.th-ein the bar 9 and through 'which fas lWell as "through said bar a pivot bolt 22 passes. .Enoircling tite pivot boltzf-andginterposedl between tli'e bar .o and one of #the jaw members 4:21 toithe member 18 is a spring Washer 23 which Lema-oe 2,.theieverbar9 is positioned so as to pass beneath and engage the outer edge of the flange 16 of the door arm 4, While `its, lower end cooperates with the movable :fuleruin formed by the pivot bolt 22 which attaches `the lever to Vthe swinging extension `18 movyablyfconneeted to the car body. l/Vhenth-us fp'ositioned [the lever 9 .of the operatingdevice lmay lbe forced toward 'Qthe'y car hopper so as to move the door to closed position, VTas .indicated in dotted "lines .in Figure l1.

:It is obvious that=each-carmight.be perf manently vequipped ywith la door operatinggmechanism .of the character 1 described, but it is preferredtoso construct the device xthat it isfcapable of being readily detached from the cansinoe.thisrequireslbut asingle .oneoithese.appliances to belrept at av load ing or unloading point. It is also obvi- .ous-thatthemechanism herein disclosed may be modified in various details of construc- 1tion Without departing from the spiritl ofi .the invention.

v1.. lnf'oar door mechanism, fthe combination Witha'droprdoor, et' door supporting `means operatively interposed `between and unovable :with respect `to said door and the '-,cargbody for retaining said door in closed f position, thecar body being .provided `with lmeansadapted -to .establish .operative eonnection withV ailmovable fulcrum member Vvvhich is movably connected to a *lever vvadapted to engage said Adoor to effect a closing .movement .of ther latter.

L2.1111 carwfdoo'r mechanism, the .combinaftion iWith ,a drop door, of door supporting means operatively interposed `between and `movable `With respect to said door and the `car body for retaining said door inclosed position-7 the car body .being provided with .'mean-s whereby a movable fulcrum member @may be detachablyand pivotallylconnected itliereto, andthe said door beingprovided with means adapted to .enga-ge alever which V-ris pivotallyconnected to said `fiulcrum memplurality of relatively movably connected parts, one of said parts being formed as a lever adapted to engage said door, and the other ot said parts being operatively interposed between said lever and the car body and being adapted to form a fulernm for said lever.

4. In car door mechanism, the combination with a drop door, of door supporting means operatively interposed between and movable with respect to said door and the car body for retaining said door in closed position, the car body being provided with means for forming a detachable connection with door operating means adapted to et'- ect a closing movement of said door, the said door operating means involving pivotally connected members, and a friction device for preventing free pivotal move-4 ment thereof, and one'ot said members be" ing adapted to engage said door and to constitute a lever for cooperating therewith to eii'ect a closing movement thereof.

5. In car door mechanism, the combination with a drop door provided with a door arm projecting outwardly beyond the neighboring portion of the ear body, ot' a door supporting hook pivotally mounted on the ear body and adapted to engage said arm to retain said door in closed position, the car body being provided with means adapted to form a` movable connection with a movable fulcrum member which is operatively connected to a relatively movable lever adapted to engage said door arm for the purpose of effecting a closing movement of the door.

6. In a car door mechanism', the combination with a drop door, of door supporting means operatively interposed between and movable with respect to said door and the car body for retaining said door in closed position, a ulcrum member movably supported on the car body, and a lever movably connected to said fulcrum member, said lever being adapted to engage said door to force the latter to closed position.

'i'. In a car door mechanism, the combination witha drop door provided with ontwardly projecting' means adapted to form a seat to be engaged by a door retaining hook for the purpose of supporting said door in closed position, of a hook pivotally mounted upon the car body and provided with a ledge for cooperating with said seat to retain the door in closed position, said hook being provided on its under face with a shoulder adapted to cooperate with a portion of a door operating lever when the latter is caused to fulcrum upon said projecting means to effect an unlocking rotation of said hook.

8. A lever mechanism adapted to be detachably associated with a car having a drop bottom door and to serve as a means Jfor moving said door to closed position, said mechanism involving a rigid bar adapted to engage the car door, and a member pivotally connected thereto and adapted to be detachably connected to the car body.

9. A lever mechanism adapted to be detachably associated with a car having a drop bottom door and to serve as'a means for moving said door to closed position, said lever mechanism comprising a rigid bar adapted to engage the ear door, a member pivotally connected to said bar and adapted to detachably engage the car body, 'and means operatively interposed between said last named member and said bar for controlling the relative pivotal movements thereof.

l0. A lever mechanism adapted to be detachably associated with a car having a drop bottom door and to serve as a means for moving said door to closed position, said lever mechanism involving a rigid bar adapted to form a lever' for cooperating with the door to -force the door to closed position, a member pivotally connected to said bar and provided with a hook adapted to engage a portion of the car body to form a detachable connection therewith, and a Jfriction washer interposed between said last named member and said bar.

l1. A lever mechanism adapted to be detachably associated with a car having a drop bottom door and to serve as a means for moving said door to closed position, said door being adapted to be retained in closed position by door supporting means operatively interposed between and movable with respect to the door and the car body, said lever mechanism involving a plurality of relatively movable members one of which is adapted to 'form a detachable connection with the car body and one of which is adapted to engage said door supporting means to move the latter to a position permitting said door to open.

12. In a car door mechanism, the combination with a drop door provided with seat member adapted to be engaged by a door retaining` hook for holding said door in closed position, of a hook pivotally mounted upon the car body and provided with a ledge for cooperating with said seat to retain the door in closed position, and a shoulder formed on the under face or said hook adapted to he engaged by a suitable lever to effect a movement of said hook about its pivot and thereby release said door.

13. In a car door mechanism, the combination with a drop door provided with seat member adapted to be engaged by a door retaining hook for holding said door in closed position, of a hook pivotally mounted upon the car body and provided with a ledge for cooperating with said seat to re'- tain the door in closed position, and a proj ection on the under face of said hook adapted to be engaged by e suitable lever to effect n, movement of said hook about its pvot and thereby I'elense said door.

14. In a Car door lneehnnsnlfthe combination With drop door provided with Seat `nnelnbel adapted tobe engagea by ztdoo lie*- -tenng hook 'for holding said door in Closed position, of a hookpvotally mounted upon .the eanbody and having its ,forward or free end projeeted downwardly to form n ledge 10 1"'01' eoopelntng with said Sent to retain the doel in closed position, and at projection on the linden-'facenti the :tree end of Said hook adapted to `be engaged by e suitablev leve? to effect an unlocking otaton o sind hook 15 In testimony whereof l". ein); my signatur#A CHARLES Sinnen 

